Tuition Costs for ABA vs. California Accredited Law Schools (CALS)

For those who might be comparison shopping: 2013 Law School Tuition Costs

California ABA Law Schools$157,794 University of Southern California, Gould School of Law$152,406 Stanford University Law School$148,692 University of California, Davis School of Law$144,204 University of California, Berkeley, School of Law$140,418 University of California Hastings College of the Law$135,663 University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law$134,940 Pepperdine University School of Law$134,151 University of California, Irvine School of Law$132,690 Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University$131,580 University of San Diego School of Law$131,550 Southwestern Law School $131,100 California Western School of Law$131,040 Santa Clara University School of Law$130,608 Chapman University School of Law$129,135 University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law $127,092 University of San Francisco School of Law$126,030 Golden Gate University School of Law$126,000 Thomas Jefferson School of Law$122,196 University of La Verne College of Law$120,780 Whittier Law School$118,800 Western State College of Law

California Accredited Law Schools$77,400 San Joaquin College of Law$74,250 Trinity Law School$72,660 JFK Law School$70,550 University of West LA$68,000 San Francisco Law School$66,650 Monterey College of Law$59,724 Lincoln Law School - San Jose$58,632 Glendale College of Law$57,620 Empire College of Law$56,760 Santa Barbara/Ventura Colleges of Law$55,860 Humphreys College of Law$40,420 Lincoln Law School - Sacramento$40,236 Cal Northern Law School$31,080 Southern California Institute of Law

We pay an accreditation fee ($2,500) to the State Bar Committee of Bar Examiners every year with our comprehensive self study and a site visit fee ($15K) very five years for the site team visit and report. Our accreditation regulations follow most of the same rules and standards found in the ABA rules, but scaled to our smaller size and delivery model.

It is a sad state of affairs when some of the most expensive law schools in the state are PUBLIC institutions. The costs for legal education have gone so through the roof that it's absurd. There is literally not one reasonably priced law school in California.

I agree with Citylaw that a CBE school can be the right choice for the right student, as long as they understand the potential limitations. I've met plenty of very successful CBE grads.

That said, I am little bothered that the CBE schools are now only comparatively inexpensive. $60,000 - $70,000 is not exactly pocket change, and is far more expensive than many public ABA schools outside of California.

These outrageous tuition rates are not limited to law school. Education everywhere has become so overpriced it's ridiculous, I think the ease with which Federal Student Loan money is handed out is creating the problem. Schools are just doing what they can nothing wrong or even immoral about it. Every school and institution anywhere can stand to have more money so why not raise tuition rates if money will just be handed to the students.

You won't find any disagreement from me related to the dramatic rise in the cost of legal education. I have been outspoken about the current disconnect between the cost of the JD/license and the market value/career value ratio. There are certain factors that are relatively easy to identify as contributors, but no easy solution.

Federal loan funds detached from school/employment outcome measures and market sustainability is a huge problem, but only now considered an issue in law due to the current supply/demand/starting salary market correction at the top end of the food chain. The relationship between tenured faculty and direct education in classrooms/clinics is disproportionately skewed to underwrite "academic scholarship", not student instruction. A three decade economic boom in BigLaw fueled irrational starting salaries that, in turn, fueled an unsustainable growth in law applicants/student loan balances that required BigLaw starting salaries to service the debt obligation.

. . . and at the risk of showing my age, we are dealing with an age of entitlement during which the lessons of hard work, competition, risk, and failure are considered to be societal, not individual responsibilities.

All said, I remain optimistic for the legal profession and new lawyers who are intelligent in the ways of the world . . . and not merely the LSAT and GPA. I share the belief that there are interesting and challenging legal opportunities available. How can you follow the news, locally, nationally, or internationally and not see the myriad of legal issues that we are facing . . . and the next generation of lawyers will be solving.

I believe that the next 3-5 years will see a correction in the cost/delivery model of legal education. It will be painful and arguably unfair for those who made individual decisions without understanding the market trends and the effect on near-term jobs/salaries. It is unconscionable that traditional law schools, BigLaw, and the federal guaranteed student loan system will not be held accountable. However, that is the price of a free economy. As a "Keynesian economist" with a law degree running a law school . . . I accept this as the reality of the marketplace and American society. What I can do about it is to remain a small voice in a big discussion that argues for meaningful change, and models it in our one small corner of the academy. Perhaps amidst the tumult we can influence the outcome.

Great post. The Tuition rates are an issue, but as a member of the younger generation I cannot tell you how frustrated with the sense of entitlement and lack of personal responsibility I see. Even these tuition rates they are high, but nobody forces you to go to law school or pursue higher education .

Maybe Monterey can be one of the schools that shows some of the issues with the tuition rates and creates young lawyers willing to take personal responsibility for themselves and succeed in the legal profession by going good lawyers.

That is the other thing to finish my rant all these unemployed grads say it is not fair, but never seem to be able to indicate they will be good lawyers or good in whatever field they are pursuing. You have to bring something to the table if you want to get hired.